Meade and Benson combine for another win

Noel Meade and Danny Benson continued an excellent Fairyhouse Easter festival when Half The Odds (8s into 11/2) won the day in the big field Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Mares INH Flat Race.

Meade and Benson combined for a nice success with Red Jack here on Sunday, in the Tattersalls Ireland Sales Bumper.

Meade had other winners too, as Road To Respect and Showem Silver also got on the score-sheet at Fairyhouse 2017 for the Tu Va Stables handler.

After Half The Odds (a point-to-point winner when with James King) had beaten the promising newcomer Dalouga and Ratoute Yutty (7s into 9/2 favourite) by two and a quarter lengths and half a length Meade said: "Danny was very good on her and did everything right.

"I thought she would win and was amazed that she got beat in Wexford after what she had shown us since we got her.

"She won a point-to-point and we bought her at Cheltenham at the sales. She looks like a nice mare.

"That's it for the season. She'll go out on grass and come back jumping next year.

"She jumps well and stays well. The two-and-a-half miles was probably a help to her."

Unfortunately the well-backed and prominent racing Baby Bob had to pull up sharply approaching the final three quarters of a mile.

The Stewards interviewed Mr T. Hamilton, rider of Ratoute Yutty (GB), concerning his use of the whip in the latter stages of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Stewards were of the opinion that Mr T. Hamilton was in breach of R10(3)(f) by using his whip with excessive frequency and R10(4) by failing to give his mount time to respond to the whip. Having taken his previous record into consideration, the Stewards suspended Mr T. Hamilton for 2 racedays. .

(GC & EM)